Skimmer cavity casting apparatus with means for holding plumbing conduit



April 11, 1967 c. T. MULLEN, JR 3,313,515 SKIMMER CAVITY CASTING APPARATUS WITH MEANS FOR HOLDING PLUMBING CONDUIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 17, 1962 INVENTOR. CLARENCE T MULLEMJR. I BY d TO PUMP FROM POOL DRAIN Apnl 11, 1967 c. T. MULLEN, JR 3,313,515

SKIMMER CAVITY CASTING APPARATUS WITH MEANS FOR HOLDING PLUMBING CONDUIT Filed Dec. 17, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. CLARENCE T MULLENJR United States Patent 0 "ice 3,313,515 SKKMMER CAVh Y CASTING APPARATUS WITH LEANS FOR HOLDING PLUMBWG CONDUIT Clarence T. Mullen, Jan, 6502 E. Exeter, Scottsdale, Ariz. 85251 Filed Dec. 17, 1962, Ser. No. 245,023 1 Claim. (Cl. 249145) This invention relates to a swimming pool skimmer produced integral and monolithically in connection with the side wall of a cast swimming pool.

This application relates to an improvement over the invention disclosed in my co-pending application, Ser. No. 156,174, filed Nov. 30, 1961, now abandoned for Suspension Form Means for Monolithic Casting of Swimming Pools.

Ll monolithically cast swimming pools and in pools produced by the conventional Gunite method pre-cast skimmer structures and otherwise prefabricated structures have been used to form the skimmer structure to receive water skimmed from the surface of a swimming pool.

In most instances, these skimmer structures are placed in an excavation adjacent to the ultimate side wall structure area of the pool and concerete has heretofore been placed around such skimmer structures, either by pouring the concrete or by placing the concrete with a conventional Gunite method in surrounding relationship with the skimmer structure while forming a respective side wall of a swimming pool.

Ere-cast or prefabricated skimmer structures for swimming pools have been costly items or accessories utilized in the production of swimming pools and these skimmer structures have heretofore necessitated the utilization of labor and materials, as well as various structures for supporting skimmer structures while side walls of pools are being formed.

Additionally, the transportation and handling of swimming pool skimmer structures has posed a problem in many instances.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to cast monolithically and integral with the side wall or" a swimming pool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a swimming pool skimmer utilizing novel means which greatly economizes and facilitates production of a swimming pool skimmer structure adjacent to the side wall of a swimming pool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for casting a swimming pool skimmer structure monolithically and integral with a side wall of a swimming pool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means which may be used to cast a swimming pool skimmer structure monolithically and integral with the side wall and curb structure of a swimming pool.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means used in combination with a suspension wall form and horizontal supporting beam structure which suspends a cavity forming means adjacent the suspension wall form whereby the cavity forming means coupled to the suspension wall form and to horizontal beam structure efiiciently serves to form a skimmer cavity which communicates directly with a swimming pool Wall internally of said suspension wall form.

3,313,515 Patented Apr. 11, 1967 Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for casting swimming pool skimmer cavities wherein one section of said means is coupled to a suspension wall form and extends horizontally while another portion of said means is suspended and coupled to the first horizontal portion of the means so that the first and second portions of said means may be withdrawn from cast concrete, one of the portions being movable horizontally and the other of said portions being movable vertically to provide a conventional skimmer cavity having skimmer access horizontally thereof and vertical access at the upper end thereof conventional to normal swimming pool skimmer structures.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel means for casting swimming pool skimmer structures which is particularly adapted to cooperation with suspension wall forms and horizontal beams which carry said suspension wall forms and which are coupled to curbing forms spaced outwardly from the wall forms.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claim, and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a means for casting swimming pool skimmers integral with respective side wall structures of a monolithically cast swimming pool, showing suspension wall forms and horizontal beams supporting the skimmer forming structure of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

PEG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 44 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 5-5 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIG. 1, showing a modification of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, a suspension form means, similar to that disclosed in my co-pending patent application, herein-before referred to, is shown supporting a swimming pool skimmer forming structure esigned to permit integral and/or monolithic casting of swimming pool skimmers and swimming pool curb and side wall structures.

An excavation 1G is prepared and suspension wall forms 12 are supported therein and suspended from horizontal beams 14. The beams 14 extend horizontally above the excavation 10 and the plate-type wall forms 12 are suspended so that their lower edges are in spaced relation with the bottom of the excavation 10, this structure being similar to that disclosed in my co-pending application, hereinbefore referred to.

The excavation 11B is provided with an offset or widened portion 16 disposed to provide an area in which a skimmer cavity may be cast into the structure of the concrete integral with and monolithically related to the side wall of the swimming pool cast adjacent the suspension form 12.

The horizontal beam structures 14, by means of suspension structure 18, support the Wall forms 12 while outer ends 20 of the beams 14 are supported by tubular structure 22 on an upper leg 24 of a curb form 26 which surrounds the excavation 16 to provide limits .3 within which the curb of the swimming pool is cast integral with the side Wall thereof.

Stakes 27 extend downwardly through the tubular members 22 and through the upper and lower flanges of the channel curb form 26 and the stakes 27, at their lower ends 28, are driven into the ground to support the curb form 26 and the beams 14, as well as the wall forms 12, in juxtaposition relative to the excavation 10.

A skimmer form frame 30 overlies a position between the curb 26 and the upper edge of the Wall form 12. This frame 30 is provided with a downwardly extending leg 32 having an angle clip 34 resting on the upper leg of the curb channel 26. The angle structure of the clip 34 extends over the outer side of the curb form 26, as shown best in FIG. 1 of the drawings. The frame 30 is provided with a horizontal portion 36 which, at its opposite end, is supported by a vertical leg 38 having an angle clip 40 provided with an angle leg portion 42 extending downwardly on the inside of a plate structure 44 of the wall form member 12. Thus, the frame 30 is located laterally with respect to the curb form 26 and the suspended wall form 12.

Suspended from the horizontal portion 36 of the frame 30 by means of a bolt 46 is a cross member 48 secured to inner walls 50 and 52 of a cavity forming casing 54. This cavity forming casing 54 is preferably made of sheet metal and is provided with substantially vertical side walls which are downwardly converging. The converging angle of the side walls is slight in order to provide a draft of the casting so that the casing 54 may be moved upwardly out of the cast concrete with facility after the concrete has set up. This casing 54 is provided with an upper casing section 56 and a lower casing section 58 providing a transition ledge 60 therebetween. The lower casing section 58 being smaller in cross section so that a conventional control valve supporting ledge 62 is formed in the cast concrete above the casing section 58, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

The lower casing section 58 is provided with downwardly converging side walls to provide a draft on the casing sufficient to facilitate removal from the concrete after it has set up.

In the lower end of the casing section 58 are openings 64 and 66 in which conventional pipe fittings 68 are held by conventional pipe caps 70 and 72 which are connected to rods 74 and 76, respectively, having T-handles 78 on their upper ends, all as shown best in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. It will be seen that the bolt 46 is provided with a threaded section 47 and jam nuts 49 engaging the horizontal section 36 of the frame 30 so that vertical adjustment of the casing 54 may be made relative to a level coinciding with the upper edge of the wall form 12 and the upper section of the curb form 26.

The casing 54, at its upper edge 80, is adjusted to be held at a position slightly below the upper surface A of the concrete which generally aligns with the upper portion of the curb form 26 and the upper edge of the wall form 12. This provides for the placement of a pan 82 having a central opening 84 therein surrounding the rod 46. This pan 82 is disposed to form or act as a form to provide a recess in the concrete slightly larger in outside dimensions than the upper end of the casing 54 so that a ledge 85 will be formed in the concrete directly above the upper edge of the casing 54. This ledge 85 will thus support a conventional skimmer cover above a cavity which will be formed by the casing 54, all as will be hereinafter described in detail.

A lateral or horizontal skimmer form casing 86 is horizontally and convergingly tapered from the Wall form 12 into and through an opening 88 in the side Wall of the upper section 56 of the casing 54. Locking pins 90 extend through upper and lower wall portions of the casing 86 and are disposed internally of the casing section 56 in order to hold these casing sections together. The pins are readily removable from the inside of the casing section 56 after the plate 82 is removed.

The pins 90, as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, extend through holes 92 in the upper wall of the housing section 86 and extend through openings 94 in the lower wall of the housing 86. The pins 90 are provided with heads 96 on their normally upper ends and engage the inner side of the casing section 54 in which the opening 88 is disposed.

The opposite end of the form casing 86 is provided with inwardly directed flange portions 98 conforming with the rectangular in cross-section hollow casing section 86. Gussets 100, in the corners of the flanges 98, are provided with openings 102 in which bolts 104 are disposed. These bolts 104 extend through openings 106, in the wall form 12, and nuts 108 are welded or otherwise secured on the inner sides of the gussets so that the bolts 106 may readily be removed internally from the wall forms 12 and that the wall forms 12 may be removed from the concrete cast in the excavation 16, as will be hereinafter described in detail.

In operation, the excavation is first produced. The

casing 54 is secured in position in the enlarged portion 16 of the excavation and the plumbing fittings 68 are held by the caps 70 and 72 and the casing section 86 is in position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings. The concrete is cast in the excavation 10 around the wall forms 12 and in the enlarged excavation section 16. The concrete is carefully vibrated around the skimmer form structure of the invention, including the casing sections 54 and 86, to provide a homogeneous, tight water holding structure.

The concrete is then permitted to harden and following this, the wall form 12, beams 14, and coping 26, together with the frame 30 may be removed. After the wall forms 12 have been removed by first removing the bolts 106, the casing section 86 may be released from the casing section 54 by removing the pins 90. Subsequently, a handle 110, secured crosswise in the casing section 86, may be pulled manually, thereby pulling the casing section 86 out of the opening 88 in the casing section 54 and out of the cavity in the concrete therearound.

Subsequently then, the caps 70 and 72 may be screwthreadably removed from the fittings 66 and 64 by rotating the T-handles 78 whereupon the cross bar 48 may be grasped to retract the casing 54 upwardly out of the concrete thereby leaving a complete skimmer cavity, including the horizontal hollow section formed by the casing 86 and a stepped vertical cavity section formed by the casing 54 and its reduced casing section 58. Ledges 62 and 85 are then left in the concrete for supporting a control valve and a skimmer cover, respectively.

In the modification, as shown in FIG. 6, the skimmer form structure of the invention is solely supported on the Wall forms 12 by the bolts 104. These bolts 104 support the form or casing section 86 and similar bolts 112 interconnect the form casing 54 and the form casing 86. Thus, the entire skimmer form structure may be cantilevered from the wall form 12, if desired.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claim.

I claim:

In a means for casting skimmer cavity structure integral with a substantially vertical wall of a swimming pool the combination of: a substantially vertical wall form member adapted to serve as a support against which a swimming pool side wall may be cast; a first substantially horizontal disposed cavity core member secured thereto; a second substantially vertically disposed cavity core member removably coupled to said first cavity core memher; said first cavity core member having external surfaces converging toward said second cavity core member;

said second cavity core member having external surfaces converging downwardly; said second cavity core member having a reducing stepped portion disposed to form a horizontal ledge in a cavity cast around said second core member; means in a lower portion of said second core member for holding plumbing conduit means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Zevely 25-128 Sparling 4-172 Schuh 249-178 Wehrung 249-145 Mitchell 249-2 Konopka et a1 210-169 Tumey 254-51 1. SPENCER OVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

10 MICHAEL V. BINIDISI, I. HOWVARD FLINT, JR.,

WILLIAM J. STEPHENSON, Examiners.

G. A. KAP, R. D. BALDWIN, Assistant Examiners. 

